Taking A Leap
by Disturbed Muffin
Summary: Pavi Largo really didn't like being stuck in his room. So, logically, he jumped out the window.


_A/N: So...I don't know how old Pavi is specifically supposed to be....just know that he's at least 10. I'd like to say that this can be proven by the fact that he owns dolls but let's be honest...he probably has a not-so-secret stash of them in his room even as an adult. Though him owning any sort of book shocked even me! ;)_

Pavi may not have been as strong or smart as his older brother, but he did have a certain agility to him. He was a fairly fast runner, for example, and he wasn't bad at climbing either. So when he peered out his window and saw that the distance between his windowsill and his brother's was about the length of his arm and a half, he wondered if he could make the jump. The ledge was wide enough for him to stand on easily.

He measured the approximate length on his floor, between a doll and a picture book, and jumped it. It wasn't so bad. All he had to do was pretend that he was doing the same thing on a floor and not several stories up in the air.

It wasn't even windy, and Pavi was sure this plan would work! He was sure when he took the jump, and was even sure when the jump was almost complete. He wasn't as sure when he felt himself fall a little too soon. He was even less sure when he made to grab at the edge of the windowsill in hopes of hanging there. Then he hit a tree branch. All certainty pretty much stopped right there.

Pavi slid off the branch and with a grunt, he collided with a lower branch that knocked the wind out of them. Then, he fell straight to the ground and the world faded to black.

When the world faded back, he was no longer outside. He wasn't even at his house. He was lying in a very white room and was lying on a bed covered in very white sheets. He frowned, and tried to sit up, but a cool hand held him back lightly by the shoulder.

"I'd be careful if I were you, Mister Largo. You hurt your leg."

Pavi blinked; he hadn't even realized someone else was in the room with him.

"I did...what?"

"You fell out of that tree and broke your leg."

Pavi lifted his head to take a look at his leg, but he was covered by a very white blanket.

"You gave everyone quite a scare," the woman's bright red lips smiled, and Pavi realized how pretty she was. She was wearing a short white dress and had a red mask perched on her forehead, though she lowered it as she rose from her seat and went to lift up the blanket, "but it's not too bad."

She gently examined the leg. Pavi looked up again and frowned. There was a cast wrapped around his lower leg. It wasn't as bulky as the casts they used to use back before the NOS epidemic, but it was there, and it was ugly.

Obviously noticing Pavi's frown, the GENtern smiled, "You'll be back on it in a few weeks. What were you doing? Trying to fly?"

"No!" Pavi said defensively, pouting slightly, "I was...trying to reach Luigi's room!"

"Really?"

Her voice sounded amused, and Pavi's eyes brightened at the sound of it, "Yeah. We were grounded."

"What for?"

"For being bad at school. I got bored and wanted company."

"I see...well, next time you should try another way," the GENtern winked and grinned, "when I was little my brother and I tried to learn Morse code, but it didn't work."

"Morse code?"

"Yeah, but we didn't have the patience to learn it properly. I think you're good to stand up," the GENtern held out her hand, "you'll be able to walk on it."

Pavi took her hand and gently got off the bed. He felt lopsided, and when he tried to walk, he was taller on every second step, but only slightly. Slightly was enough for someone like Pavi, who felt his eyes well up in frustrated tears.

"What wrong, Mister Largo?"

"I look silly," he frowned, all the more upset that he was _crying_.

"Not at all!"

"Yes I do! I do, I do!"

"Do you know how many patients I see all the time? You are the least silliest one I've seen. Ever."

"Ever?"

"You're a beautiful little boy."

"I...am?"

"Of course!"

"But I have the..." he didn't want to say the ugly word, so he pointed to the cast instead, as if accusing it of something, "I don't know why papa couldn't have replaced the bone!"

"You still would have had to keep off the leg either way. Besides, I think it's cute."

"You do?" his eyes began to dry up, and the GENtern reached forward and dried the tears on his cheeks with her fingers.

"Of course I do. You're family is waiting for you-we shouldn't keep them."

She didn't hold Pavi's hand the whole way, but she did rest her hand on his back gently as he walked.

"He will be just fine, Mister Largo."

Rotti Largo came forward, not even acknowledging the GENtern, and sighed.

"What have you learned, son?"

"Jumping out of windows is stupid?" Luigi said from where he was sitting behind him.

"No. Yes. What _else_ have you learned?"

"GENterns are nice," Pavi smiled.

Luigi laughed loudly, but Rotti scowled.

"_No_. This is what happened when you try to disobey my orders."

Pavi frowned, "Oh."

"Can we go home, pop?" Luigi asked, looking bored.

"Yes, we will head home now. We're going to have guests tonight, so I want you all to get into your best clothes."

"Guests?" Pavi looked excited.

"Guests?" Luigi groaned.

"Yes. Guests. Why are you repeating each other?" Rotti grumbled, "Now come on, you two."

Rotti marched off without so much as a glance behind him. Luigi and Pavi followed reluctantly, Luigi looking tired and Pavi limping awkwardly. He turned his head to see if the GENtern was still there, but she'd gone into some other room, probably to look after another sick person.

"Don't even think about it," Luigi said quietly as they entered the limo.

"Think about what?" he asked, confused.

"Why would a GENtern go for someone like _you_?"


End file.
